To Solice and back
by Might is Right
Summary: When I was growing up I thought my father was a crazy old man. Now I that I can take care of myself, I know that what I must do to alleviate his pain. To Solice and back, I realize what the sins of my father were.
1. My father's sins

**This is the intro to my side story called "To Solice and back" and Solice is a place in the FT world that I created. Fanon ftw**

**This might turn into a full blown story and I hopefully can finish it alongside "Of Body and Mind".**

**Anyways, enjoy.**

Growing up, I always thought my father was a crazy old guy because of the way he was paranoid about everything. He would lock the doors when he slept, removed the window in the imperial chamber and even slept with a knife on the headboard.

He would never eat food prepared by anyone besides himself and he always looked over his back like something was following him. Growing up, I don't think I had many friends. It seemed like my childhood was forever stuck in a memory of my father, thinking he was alone, speaking to himself.

He didn't trust anyone besides his family and even he was a little suspicious of us. He didn't trust the Angkols or the Hohenheims even though he was their emperor. He believed in Garlan dominance and he set out to do such that and he came home with a nickname. He was the Defiler.

And like I said earlier, my father thought he was alone one day and he started to talk to himself. I was hiding inside a cupboard while my father prepared dinner for himself and he started to talk. His words, scared me. They scared me a lot. Do you know what he said?

He said that ghosts haunted him because of his terrible deeds.

…

**I hope that was an alright intro. What I really want will be outlined next chapter so I hope you guys liked this slightly creepy intro (I think) and I will see you all later. FF**


	2. The journey begins

**Finally Friday -_- this week has been tough and next week may prove to be even tougher. Anyways, here we are with the first official chapter of this story. I decided to use first person for certain times for this story. I gotta say, Mashima is a brilliant man. He allows fanon to flourish while pleasing canon fans. That is an accomplishment that I have not seen in a while. **

**Anyways, here is the background for this story, told in part by Peter II or "Paco" Evadeus.**

_The reign of Drake Evadeus was a time of great expansion for the Garlans. Under Drake, the Garlan army stretched across the globe and had territories on every continent besides Derlados. At the time of Drake's death at the incredible age of 96 (the average life span at the time was 64) his empire was made up of the entire continent of Asarabia and various puppet kingdoms in Q'Rex that he ruled separately from his empire but eventually merged them as he got older. _

_He was a monarch of firsts. He was the first to be born to an unsuccessful monarch. His father was Mustafa Evadeus, the monarch that had brought a huge debt from his various wars that usually ended in defeat. He was the first monarch born with mixed Hohenheim and Evadeus blood for his father had married the Hohenheim queen, effectively merging the two empires together once more (this was Mustafa's only success). He was the first monarch born with a mental condition. He had a terrible mental illness that would cause him to lose his memory from time to time although it went away as he got older. But above all his achievements, one trait dragged him down. _

_His paranoia. _

_It was the most extreme form and Drake could not do anything without feeling "plagued". According to his son, Peter II, it came from his conquests of the Asarabian tribes in which he raided the tombs of their heroes in order to pay off his father's debt. Drake's paranoia only got worse as he grew older and eventually, his son decided to take action._

"I never believed in ghosts. They were old tales to scare children to eat their vegetables. But my father, he believed. And the ghosts would torment him for days. I hated living with my father when the ghosts came. He would scream out in terror and draw his sword and break everything in the room in terror. He never let me come into his room and kept us at a distance. It was like he didnt even have a family. So I decided to do something about it. I was a good student in herbs and plants and I eventually came across a plant called "Bellroot". It was said to have been blessed by the gods and it cured paranoia. That made up my mind. I would travel to where ever this mystical plant grew and I would take it for my father." - a section from Peter II's book, _My father's nightmare._

**Adrianople**

"Well, I think its finally time." I sighed as I looked up from the book of herbs and plants.

It was dark outside and from the window in my room I could see the city below me, sparkling with light. It was magnificent but I knew I had to leave. I looked over at the mirror on the far wall of my room to check if everything looked right. My dark brown hair was hidden under the hood of my coat and my eyes looked back at me, dark brown. I was wearing a dull green shirt and tan colored cargo shorts. This wasn't what I usually wore but I thought it was comfortable. I had to fit in with the crowd but first I had to slip past the guards. My father would never approve of me leaving the fortress so I was sneaking out. I sighed and headed to the door of my room. But before I left, I looked back at it and said my goodbyes to the room I had slept in for at least 14 years. Then I turned and opened the door and went towards a future that would hopefully help my father.

…

Paco left the fortress without telling anyone. If he had been caught, he would have been disinherited by his crazed father, Drake. But the young man headed towards a place where he could hopefully make a friend to travel with. His final destination was Solice, an area in Seria that was known for rare plants. He would help his father no matter what. But he had to keep his identity a secret, for if anyone found out, they could easily report him to the military and he would be caught much faster than he planned.

He would find friends in Fairy Tail and he would journey to Solice and back with the Bellroot. He would mature and grow into an adult but most importantly, he would learn what it meant to hold power in his hands.

**This was a weird chapter. It was incredibly short for a first chapter but I am REALLY on a time crunch because of the play I have to go see tonight. I really don't like the way this chapter turned out but I cant really do better right now. **

**I need OCs by the way. Just please make sure to list why your character wants to visit Seria and have it be a viable reason. I will release a better second chapter tomorrow I promise. Thanks, FF**


	3. Make some friends

**Ok guys, this is the first actual chapter of To Solice and back. If you want to know what Solice looks like, think about the tropical rain forest but with fewer trees and lots of rising hills with cliff faces that have weeds and plants growing out of the cracks along the rocky faces.**

**Anyways, our friend Paco, will be going to a few different guilds to find a few companions to travel with. I like Paco, he seems to be a nice kid. **

**With that out of the way, here we go.**

_The guilds enjoyed a freedom that had not existed in the times of other Garlan monarchs. No longer where they bound to the monarchy and they no longer had to serve their rulers with mages for battle. Guilds such as Fairy Tail and Saber Tooth flourished under these freedoms and they became household names again. Paco knew he would find the best companions not just in Fairy Tail, but at other guilds as well. _

_He aimed to find mages with a reason to go to Seria. Among his list of guilds were Illuminati, Goliath, Hunter Pride and Titanic Ultimatum. Bu his first choice was Fairy Tail. It was a place of social gathering and Paco would most likely find people willing to travel there. Who knows, maybe he would find friends there. _

**Near Fairy Tail...**

"Fairy Tail..." I murmured as I looked up at the rising spire that carried the flag of the legendary guild.

I was carrying a small pack on my back and I looked around the small market. There were certainly a variety of things to by such as books, medicine and arms but Bellroot was a very difficult to find plant and I couldnt expect it to be sold so cheaply.

I sighed. It was difficult being on my own for the first time. I had slept in the forest last night and it was not very comfortable. I had always relied on my servants to get things for me but now, I had to do everything. I wasnt complaining though. It felt good being independent. I shook off my thoughts and I headed up the sloped path that led to the wooden gates of the guild.

As you go farther up the slope, the view gets better and better. Many people do not realize how big of a city Magnolia is but once you go up the slope towards Fairy Tail, you can see the whole city come to life. Rising up from the hills that surround it, the city is colorful and full of background. I eventually got up to the guild doors and I placed my hands on the handle. Suddenly something hurt in my gut.

"Ack!" I doubled over, grabbing my stomach. What was going on?

I looked up, why was everything grey? It was like those old films my mother had made me watch...then I realized I was not alone. Standing next to me, grabbing the handles to the guild were two people. They seemed hazy like they were made of smoke or something. One was a man, carrying a sword in his hand and a girl, talking to him. The man seemed to be nervous and the girl was happy, speaking to the man with a smile on her face. I would have stumbled back in surprise but I couldnt as my hand was suddenly anchored to the door.

I regained my composure, still freaked out about how the surroundings had changed. I pulled open the guild door and I found myself staring into the blood red eyes of a man. I tried to jump back in surprise but then I looked behind me to see that the man who had been speaking with the girl was being strangled by the red eyed man and a sandwich* was on the ground...

"Excuse me." I said nervously as I passed the two men and I entered the guild.

Color returned to the world and I decided to get my business done and leave as soon as possible. The guild was not particularly full but there were still many people inside. They were looking around the request board, drinking, eating and just sleeping around the guild. I took a deep breath. This was the beginning.

"I am looking for a team to accompany me to Seria!" I shouted into the guild.

**Himotu Zephyros**

"I am looking for a team to accompany me to Seria!"

Himotu turned around at those words. Himotu was a 5'8" young man, had black unkempt hair, dark brown eyes close to black, and slightly tanned skin. He wore a short-sleeved black jacket that he had unzipped, a black-and-white striped shirt underneath, a silver heart necklace, a loose dark-red tie, guards that cover his wrists and the back of his hands (the right one matches his shirt while the left one matches his tie), black pants with pockets on the side of his shins, and black shoes. He also wears either a pure black casket hat or a black beanie-like hat with skull and crossbones on the side

He stood up and he walked towards the speaker, a young man with dark brown hair and was wearing a dull green shirt with tan cargo pants. Hitomu had his own reasons for wanting to go to Seria. He had unfinished business.

…

But Paco's announcement had caught the attention of two other mages. One was a teenage girl with hip length forest green hair, peach-colored skin, and emerald green eyes. She wore an olive green tank top and a pair of knee length lime green cargo shorts. The other was another teenager that was 5', had black spiky hair, gray eyes with diamond shaped irises, and slightly tanned skin. He wore a blue and silver mask similar to a knight's helmet visor that covered the side of his cheeks; a black, thin collar with a broken chain; a torn, red short-sleeved jacket that is unzipped; a black t-shirt underneath; gray pants; black bandages that are loosely tied around his forearms; and black shoes. He had a wild, black, heart-shaped stamp on his left shoulder blade.

"Whats this about going to Seria? If you are going, I will join you." Hitmou said as he approached Paco from across the guild.

The other two nodded and Paco smiled as he dug into his pack to produce three lumpy bags made of leather. They jingled as Paco held them up.

"Money for your troubles." He said as he started to hand the bags to money to each of them.

Hitmou held up his hand.

"Keep your money. We all have reasons we want to go to Solice. But in return for travelling with you, I need to ask you a favor. Will you fight by my side when I need to call on that favor?" Hitmou asked, looking at Paco with seriousness in his eyes.

Paco slowly nodded and Hitmou looked satisfied. The teenage boy that had approached Paco shrugged his shoulders.

"Heh, just get me a book and I'll call it even. Name is Fu Galion by the way." The teenage boy said as he introduced himself.

The teenage girl then introduced herself.

"My name is Shizen Kaika. Sorry for not introducing myself sooner." The girl said, smiling at everyone.

Hitmou went last. He was already feeling the energy building within him.

"My name is Hitomu Zephyros." He said gruffly.

Paco nodded, feeling happy to have a team. He smiled and he turned to the entrance to the guild.

"Alright then! Lest head for a port city! Nothing can stop us now!" Paco said happily as they left the guild together.

He didn't notice that the hazy figures had disappeared.

**Westcliff**

The sounds of coughing ran out through the small wooden house that stood in the very corner of a street in Westcliff. There was the sound of moving feet as several young men entered the room that had a young girl laying in a bed, coughing up blood.

"Damn it, she is still sick! Saint Evadeus has forgotten us!" one of the boys said angrily as he looked down at the young girl.

The boys all looked more or less the same, brothers perhaps. They all had different guild markings on their necks and they wore different colored t-shirts. They had necklaces made of gold hanging from their necks and they all had blonde hair and blue eyes. The only difference between the boys were their heights and the fact that the shortest one had freckles. The tallest boy held up his hand at the boy who had spoken.

"Do not curse the saints so soon. We are faithful but faith alone will not heal our sister." The young man said as the others nodded.

The shortest of the three brothers nodded as their sister terribly.

"I know just the place. Father said that he would be going there. There is a place on the eastern continent that sells medicine, rare medicine. We can leave our sister in the care of the Illuminati monks and head there to find the medicine!" the shortest one said.

"Well that decides it doesn't it. We go to Seria." The tallest one said as the others looked grim as they looked down at their sister.

**Well, that is the chapter. I feel like it turned out alright. There was some foreshadowing in this chapter and I think it stands out quite obviously. **

**References: *there is a reason why the sandwich hit the hazy man instead of Paco. **

**Anyways, I hope you guys liked the chapter. I will most likely be uploading another one-shot tonight because my next original story is going to require some thinking. See you all later! FF**


	4. The first sin

**My feet hurt. A lot. I am not sure why. Today we will be learning a little more about Galion's past. **

**Nothing much besides that but here are the predictions for the next one-shot. Currently, I may be going for a TadaakixLucia or "Dinner with Lucas". Who knows, maybe I will do both in one day. Anyways, here is the chapter. **

_Drake's paranoia was bad, and it only got worse when he learned that Paco had left the palace without permission. It seemed that nothing would cure the king of his terrible condition. But Drake was doing something right even with paranoia and the people were happy. But the possibility of extending that happiness to his own family was something that was unseen. _

"Where is my son!"

The shouts echoed through the house as the large burly man walked through the house, bashing into rooms and searching furiously. Drake was a large and intimidating figure, standing at least 7 foot and his face looked as if it was carved from rock. The features were hawkish, his eyes never missing anything that went on and his incredibly muscular body that allowed him to roll frying pans up like they were paper. The king was wearing his cloak and his cape and was currently searching the room where his grandfather slept. The frail old man had once been a mighty warrior but he was too sickly to do anything but sleep or walk slowly through the palace. But at the sight of his grandson looking through every drawer and growling to himself, the old warrior spirit of Xalender* flared awake.

"Just what do you think you are doing!" Xalender shouted at the large man.

Drake just glanced at the man and kept searching. Boxes of medicine went flying and Drake flicked away an old vial of drink and it hit the window, cracking it straight down the middle.

"Stop it I say! Right now you brute!" Xalender wheezed as Drake stood upright and looked at the old man.

Drake nodded his head. Garlan tradition called for respect of the elderly and Drake was a firm believer in those traditions. And also, Xalender was the emperor. Drake's father, Mustafa, had been chased into exile and died soon after his wife caught a deadly disease that killed her soon after her husband. That made Xalender the emperor although the king held most of the power.

"I am sorry grandfather. I was just looking for my son, the soon to be traitor." Drake said, looking out of the room's window.

Xalender grunted as he got out of bed and struggled to his feet. He was mostly skin and bones now, he couldn't digest normal food due to a terrible stomach wound during a duel. The old man put his pale and boney hand on Drake's high shoulder.

"You must learn to trust those around you. Allies and friends are some of the greatest things you can have." Xalender sighed.

"I will never trust anyone besides myself. Not until all my enemies lay dead or bow before me." Drake said roughly as he turned to walk out of the room, his dark green cape swishing behind him.

**Peter II**

"I know a shortcut to the port. It should cut our time by at least an hour…but we might have to wait because I have to do something." Galion said as they walked down from Fairy Tail.

Paco nodded his head. That sounded reasonable. An hour was a lot of time and time was definitely of the essence. The group travelled on, speaking about their guilds and Paco just listened, fascinated by the world of the mage. However Paco knew that he could never reveal his true life. It was too risky and there was too much at stake.

Galion led the way to the shortcut and the group followed, chatting. They commented on how the weather was good and Paco was starting to feel companionship among the group. There was something about the group that made Paco feel, wanted. His whole life had been filled with this father muttering to himself and staying away from the rest of the family but now, he had people who actually wanted to speak with him. Shizen was young and cheerful, Hitomu was sort of gruff but he was cool and Galion was his own kind of person. He wasn't talking much as he led us to the spot where several wooden beams were stood up to resemble a house.

"So, this is the place where you had to do something?" Paco asked as he looked around Galion's shoulder and gasped when he saw what was piled inside the wooden frame.

The others gasped as well when they saw it. Piled within the wooden frame were stacks and stacks of Garlan related things. Flags, books on Garlan history, things stamped with the Garlan seal were pilled there and even portraits of the monarchs were there as well. Paco had an instinct to be angry but then stopped as he looked how all the objects were glossy looking. Then he realized what it was. Gasoline! There was the sound of a match being struck and everyone looked over at Galion, the knight helmet covering his eyes. The match burned brightly even under the sun.

"You must be wondering what I am doing." Galion sighed as the match burned, the flickering flames dancing. "There used to be a place I called home here. My father was the leader of a thief guild. I was one of the best thieves and we got along fine with everyone in the community. We had a good thing going on. We would steal from the corrupt nobles and give the spoils to the people and keep some of it ourselves. But then one day, I was caught stealing from the Tsubasa family. I went to jail, 6 months and I got out soon for good behavior. I might as well have stayed behind bars. You know why? It was because the building was destroyed and there were many people dead. My father was killed and I soon learned that it was the army that destroyed the guild. Ever since then, I have hated the empire. I even considered joining the Angkols but they don't accept mages. And now, I am burning every Garlan object in my possession."

The match was thrown onto the pile and a blaze immediately roared up. The fire quickly spread to the all the objects and within minutes, a roaring inferno was in front of them, sending the crackles of fire to the ears of the group. Galion was about to lead the group past the fire when suddenly a man wearing all black stepped out of the forest, grinning.

"So this is where you've been storing all the treasure. About time we found it." The man said as several others came out from behind him, armed with swords.

Galion looked at Paco, his fists clenched.

"Do you know how to fight? Magic preferably." He said to him.

Paco nodded. He had a magical tutor at home, well it was actually his grandfather but he was an old man and fell asleep often. The bandits surrounded the group and they came running, swords swinging. The first bandit was quickly smashed in the face by a mace made of crystal and the bandit smashed into the ground and didn't get up. Paco was about to use his magic on a bandit when suddenly a barrage of leaves suddenly blasted the bandit against a tree. He turned to see Shizen that Shizen was the one who had defeated the bandit!

Paco heard about the mages who used the ancient power of roars but he had never seen on in action before! Suddenly Paco felt something coming towards him so he dodged out of the way and the sword swung harmlessly by. Paco held out his hand and he decided it was time to show them the Evadeus way!

"Psychic!" Paco shouted as the bandit's sword suddenly vibrated violently and exploded into metal shards that sent the bandit screaming and spinning away.

By then, the other bandits had either been defeated or run off in fear. The only bandit left was the leader and he was still holding out.

"I know you have all the gold and silver! Buried underneath those Garlan things! Trying to keep it hidden hu-"

The bandit leader was suddenly grabbed by the throat and a wolf claw and smashed into the ground and then a powerful leg smashed him through several trees. The group looked at Hitomu, impressed as the mage started to shrink and went back to normal size. He used Wolf Take Over magic! Galion put the mace on his shoulder casually and he nodded towards the huge fire.

"Alright, I think we taught those guys a lesson."

Paco agreed as everyone walked with Galion but he knew that he had found his father's first sin.

**Took a while to finish because I had band practice and then homework afterwards. What do you guys think? I thought it was a good chapter to show their powers. Anyways, be on the lookout for more original story stuff and one-shots! Thanks. FF**


	5. Cursed city

**Today was a very slow day. I don't know why but it seems that Sophomore testing week makes it difficult to concentrate. The very fact that I have late starts every day of the whole week and a 35 minute homeroom just makes me feel very happy. I don't even have to do my homework! **

**Anyways, tough week blah blah blah. A lot of writing work going on today with a one-shot being planned, original story and a chapter for Ravens have tails. Busy busy writing. And also, I am sorry if your OC doesn't get any fights or little mention. I got more OCs than I thought I would. **

**There was a reference I forgot to do in the last chapter: *Xalender is Lidia's son. **

**Here is the chapter.**

Just the thought of my father reminded me of Galion's story. Guild destroyed, family killed. I shuddered at the thought. We were still walking through the forest when suddenly we found a wooden sign staked into the ground. It was bloody and it was badly chipped. We all gathered around to look at it.

_Delray up ahead….do not go! Curses live there!_

Delray? The cursed city? I looked at the path ahead and I shuddered when even though it was warm out. The path ahead looked scary although it looked fine. Everyone in the world knew about Delray. Legend had it that a large meteor had struck the city, laying waste to all the houses and killing off the entire population. Not many dared to go in but those who did and made it out reported that a house still stood in the middle of the masses of destroyed houses and wooden debris. I had never been there but I tried not to be afraid.

Hitmou grunted as he looked at the sign and down the path.

"Anyone afraid of ghosts?" he asked as a slight breeze blew through the trees and birds chirped.

Shizen shook her head and I shrugged, not knowing how I should respond. Fuu nodded his head as well and we all went down the path, uncertain of what we might find. There were supposed to be monsters in Delray right?

…

"…How much farther do you think we have to go?" I asked as we passed a small rock embedded in the ground.

We had been walking for a while and all they passed were trees, trees and trees. Fuu shrugged. I suspected that everyone was getting tired of walking. Hitomu and Shizen were in front of us and we continued walking. The entire way there I could never shake off the words Galion had said and I started to wonder about everyone else. Did they have any secrets? They were all nice people and strong mages but…their past was making me wonder.

I was so engrossed in my thoughts that I accidentally bumped into Hitomu. I looked up to see everyone looking ahead, a look of wonder in their eyes. I looked over Hitmou's shoulder and I gasped.

"Delray…." I whispered.

There was a sense of peace as I looked from where I stood with my companions. The wooden debris that was all over the city, the lone house standing off to the side and the huge rocky meteor in the center of the city gave the city a sense of…life. We all walked into the city, mesmerized by the serenity of the area but still on our toes if a monster should come. We stopped at the meteor first. Fuu looked at a hole cracked in the meteor and looked down at the grass to see a mound of dark black rock on the ground nearby.

"Uh…why is there a hole in the meteor and this rock? Doesn't make much sense does it?" he asked as everyone looked through the meteor to see that it was drilled straight through for some reason and you could see out the other side.

We soon headed for the large house that stood off to the side. It was a big house with faded paint and an old wooden door with cracked windows. The house looked as if it was ready to collapse any second but it was still beautiful. We all went to look at the house and when we were all about to go inside, Hitomu was looking down at the gravestones in front of the house. He knelt down and he touched his hand to the ground.

"This was the place…" Hitomu whispered to himself.

_A while ago, Delray…_

"Hitmou…where are we?"

Hitomu stopped. He didn't know where he was either. They had come a long way… But they had to keep moving until they found a permanent home. That fire on that stormy night had force Hitmou and his sister to find a new home. Suddenly they spotted a figure standing in front of an old house off in the distance. Hitomu's first instinct was to run but he moved closer with his sister close. The two moved cautiously and they were soon close behind the man.

Hitomu looked closer to see that the man was standing in front of three gravestones. The mage kneeled and stood and turned to see Hitomu and his sister looking at him. The man was dressed in a purple cloak with golden cuffs and the man's hair was grayish silver. His eyes were stormy gray and he looked at Hitomu and his sister with no emotion.

"Hey hello traveler, what brings you to Delray." The man said as he bowed to them.

Hitomu didn't trust this guy at all. He narrowed his eyes and nodded to the gravestones.

"What were you doing, in front of the gravestones I mean." He said as his sister hid behind him.

The man looked behind him at the three gravestones. They used to carry inscriptions on them but they were long faded.

"Paying my respects. A young and powerful mage is buried here and I used to work with him and I deemed it proper I visit him. You both seem weary. Please, go into the house. It may not be in the best shape but it will keep you harm and there is much food inside that is good to eat. It is what my friend's family would have wanted." The man said.

Hitomu was still hesitant to go anywhere. He had never trusted anyone besides his sister and he was not about to allow a stranger to give him shelter even if it did look nice.

"N..no. I don't think so. It could be some sort of trap." Hitomu said as he started to back away with his sister.

The man let out a chuckle.

"Such an untrusting soul. What trap could there be? No one ever comes to Delray. An untrusting soul such as you does not deserve a gift as magic. Trigram Seal, Curse of Failure." The man said as a triangle within a circle appeared around Hitomu.

There was an arc of purple lightning and Hitomu let out a scream and his sister screamed as well. Hitomu's vision went black.

"Until you learn to trust people, your magic will always fail you in the darkest of times. But there is a way out young mage. Earn the trust of a member of the royal family and help him achieve his goals, whatever they may be! Then you shall be free once again."

…

"Hitomu, you alright?"

The sound of Fuu's voice brought Hitomu back into reality. He looked up at the group and he slowly nodded. Fuu nodded back and I came out of the house with Shizen.

"Oh hey Hitomu. I thought you weren't feeling good so I brought you some food and water. The house is full of fresh food! Can you believe it?" I said happily as I handed the piece of bread to Hitomu and gave him the water as well.

Hitomu quickly ate the bread and drank the water and looked at everyone around him. He sighed and he thought back to what had happened.

"…travelling with me was a bad idea. If you guys didn't know, I'm cursed." He said sadly as he looked away.

We all looked at him weird. Cursed? But nothing terribly bad had happened to them yet! I looked at him with a funny look.

"Cursed?" I asked him.

Hitomu nodded bitterly.

"This isn't my first time in Delray. A long time ago, a fire burned down my house. My sister and I had to leave to find a new home. We ended up in Delray and we met a man. He told us we could stay in the house and eat the food that was there but I didn't trust him. So he cursed me. My magic would never work whenever I needed it the most from then on and my sister was soon taken by bandits. They took her to Seria and that's why I have to go. I should have trusted that man…" Hitomu said, his voice bitter.

Fuu put his hand on Hitomu's shoulder. We couldn't see Fuu's face behind the knight's mask but his voice was soft.

"Don't worry about it. We'll help you get your sister back." He said as Hitomu nodded and stood.

I smiled and Shizen looked happy as Hitomu stood and Fuu laughed.

"Well anyways, we aren't too far from the port. It should be an easy walk from here. Come on, lets go." Fuu said as everyone grabbed their belongings and headed out of the cursed city.

As we left Delray behind, I thought about Hitomu's story. His sister was taken. The bandits who did this…would be having hell on their hands…

**There we go. This chapter took me a while because there was a distraction and I was busy with some things. Expect a chapter of my original story, a chapter for Ravens have tails and a one-shot today. I don't know if everything can be done today but I will try my best! FF**


	6. Sightseeing

**Sorry for the lack of updates during this half of the week. I was busy being lazy. See what I did there? Anyways, I was reading through the chapters of Fairy Tail and found something that NO ONE has done before. Saber Tooth's past. Another instance of Mashima leaving a door open for writers. So, I might be doing a story on Saber Tooth's rise to fame. It will most likely include two very special characters unless I decide to go completely canon...which I probably wont because canon characters are boring. **

**Anyways, here we get to get a glimpse into the three brothers from a few chapters back and also, we get to look into society in Seria. Enjoy.**

_While Paco, Fuu Mitomu and Shizen were heading to the ports of Fiore to board a ship to Seria, another group was doing the same thing. They consisted of three brothers, almost identical in every way besides height. They were the Harlem brothers and they lived in Westcliff. The oldest was named Selim, the tallest of the three. He had blonde hair like his brothers, blue eyes and a muscled build from his training in Goliath. He was one of the lucky few that performed well enough to be accepted into the prestigious school/guild* known as Goliath. _

_The middle brother was Temur. He was the shortest of the brothers but he had freckles and blonde hair. Blue eyed like his brothers, he was also muscled from his time in Hunter Pride. He was a combination mage, knowing magic and being skilled in swords. _

_The youngest was Mahmut. He was the second tallest but he was not as muscled as his brothers. He was a mage from The Knights of Saar and the knights in that famous guild placed agility over strength. _

_These three brothers were in charge of a young girl known as Rosalina. She was their younger sister and she was terribly ill. These three brothers set out to Seria to find a legendary plant that was said to cure any disease. Bellroot. They would stop at nothing to get it and they had no problems with getting blood on their hands. _

**A ship sailing to Seria**

Selim Harlem stood at the side of the _Skipper_, observing the ocean as the ship sailed towards Seria. He was in deep thought and needed some time to think to himself. He was dressed simply in a long cloak that went down to his ankles and it was colored brown. It had Goliath's emblem on the back and it was tied across his waist with a silver cord, a sign of his rank as a senior mage. The ship was relatively quiet because not many people sailed these days. Only the extensively rich could afford it and it was said that the _Skipper_ was owned by a family that participated in the Silence Uprising. The Harlem family was not rich but the three brothers were willing to risk it for their sister.

"Selim! How much farther until we reach land!"

The voice came from below decks and he turned to see his youngest brother, Mahmut, coming up the stairs. Mahmut was wearing a thin white shirt and leather trousers with metal studs that went completely around them. He smiled at Selim as he came up the stairs. Selim nodded his head as he answered his brother's question.

"Soon. I can smell the scent of earth from here. It wont be long. But tell me Mahmut, the capital of the empire is in Nika yet the royal family makes all the decisions in Adrianople. Why is that." Selim asked Mahmut in a wondering voice.

Mahmut rolled his eyes. Selim liked to say strange things like this. This was a question he had asked over and over again. There was no end to his questions.

"It is because they were lazy wasnt it? Sara came so far to conquer Fiore and when she got there, she did not want to spend more money going back so she just stayed. But she kept the capital in Seria to please the people there." Mahmut answered as Selim nodded and looked back at the ocean.

Mahmut was about to go back below decks when Selim asked him another question.

"Do you ever think that someone else is searching for the Bellroot?" Selim asked, his eyes gazing over the blue ocean once more as the ship cut through the water with grace.

Mahmut breathed in the salty air and looked back at his brother.

"Perhaps brother. Perhaps." he said lazily as he climbed back below decks.

Selim smiled as he his brother left. That was a trick question. There was ALWAYS someone competing for something. Always.

**Seria, Paco's group**

The ship Paco had been sailing on finally docked in the port city of Fallmir. Hitomu looked around the large port city with amazement. Fuu and Shizen joined him and they all looked at the city, trying to see everything. Paco laughed as he watched them point to all sorts of buildings.

The city was indeed beautiful but it was nothing compared to Nika, the capitol of the mighty Garlan Empire. Paco had visited Fallmir before but the city's beauty never stopped impressing him. The city was surrounded completely with huge walls made of ancient bricks. The entire city seemed a bit dusty but the beautiful domed buildings made up for the dusty scenery. There were several other ships docked in the port and people were everywhere, talking and boarding ships. The port was shaped like the standard "U" shape and led into the city where hundreds of shops lined the streets. There were rising towers and several large buildings with huge blue glass domes that rose above all the other buildings. The group stepped off the boat and they headed into the city, taking a small amount of time for sightseeing.

They were walking in the streets when they came to the city square where there was a large statue of a woman, holding a sword with many other blades branching off of it. The woman was kneeling and looking at the ground, the sword planted in the ground. She seemed to be crying and there were hundreds of people crowded around it, kneeling and they seemed to be praying. Shizen pointed towards the statue.

"Whats going on over there? Why are there so many people in front of that statue?" she asked, as everyone looked where she was pointing.

Paco smiled as he answered the question. He felt so smart, answering all these questions.

"Oh that. That is a statue of the first queen, Sara Evadeus. Many people worship her as their god queen although her worship is not nearly as widespread as Ali, the King of Kings. The people of Seria worship many gods including the Wolf Claws and sometimes their monarchs." Paco explained as they continued on the way.

They stopped for a while at to observe a large building with a huge dome and several towers rising from the sides. Fuu peaked inside the building and looked out. He looked at Paco.

"Seems like a library." he said as Paco nodded.

"Yep, that was built by Cyrus the Ironfisted when he was a young boy." he explained as Hitomu pointed at a group of people coming towards them.

They wore scaled armor and they carried two swords with them. They had long beards and they wore a strange helmet that covered their entire face besides several holes in the helmet that allowed them to see. One had a large red plume on his helmet and he had a pistol at his side and a rifle strapped to his back. Paco shivered when he saw them. The Garlan Home Guard**. Their helmets with several small holes drilled into the steel always made him feel scared.

"What about them? Who are they?" Hitomu asked as Paco looked at him.

"Stop pointing at them!" Paco hissed as Hitomu tried to put his hand down.

But it was too late. The group of soldiers drew their swords and the leader drew his pistol and they marched up to Hitomu. The leader pointed the pistol at Hitomu's chest.

"Shalzin beleqo. Gant em iez ukten ur us eund seliz Fer." (Stop pointing. That is disrespectful to us and the gods) the captain said as they brushed past the group with no further incident.

Hitomu watched as the soldiers walked away and Paco shook his head.

"I forgot to tell you. Never point at the home guard. Pointing is seen as a sign of disrespect in Seria. Sorry that I didnt warn you earlier." Paco said sheepishly as he remembered that Shizen had pointed earlier and he had forgotten to stop her.

"No its fine. I should just learn to be more careful." he said as he shook his head.

Paco nodded and he turned around to look around the city a bit more when he saw the blue eyes fall on him. His head snapped to the person looking at him and saw that it was a blonde man with blue eyes. He was with two other men that looked exactly like him, varying in height. The man turned to walk away and the group followed. Paco shivered. Those blue eyes, what did they want?

**I hope that was good. It took a while to figure the chapter out but it was finally done. **

**References: *After David died, his son Lopez took over the guild. At the time, Goliath had few members. So, Lopez turned the guild into a school and a guild. The school only accepts the best mages and can be considered the "Harvard" of the magical world.**

****The Black, Red, Blue and White armies only appear on Fiore. When Sara left to conquer Fiore, she brought them with her. In order to fill the gap, Sara formed the Garlan Home Guard. They are the soldiers that keep the continent of Seria under control and wear different uniforms. They are as strong as the Red Army soldiers.**

**And there we go. I hope you liked the chapter and I will see you all later. FF**


	7. A fateful meeting

**This week has been busy no doubt but here is some great news! The tests were easy and I will be skipping school Friday to vacation in California! I feel like that is some great news. Sorry for not updating at all for this half of the week. I have been mostly studying and working on some things and I also tried to think of ideas for the Saber Tooth fic I have planned.**

**Hopefully this week in Fairy Tail we can look into Sting and Rogue. Anyways, here is the chapter. **

_At around the time Paco and his friends were to touring Asarabia, Drake was facing a crisis at home. The Garlan Empire had become a byword for strength and order during Drake's reign as Drake did not tolerate anyone who rebelled against him. Only a few hours ago, Drake issued terms of surrender to Q'Rex as he wanted to control the entire continent without bloodshed. The hardy people of the Ice Fields refused and Drake rallied his troops for a war on frozen ground._

_The people of Q'Rex were the few people who actually attempted to resist Garlan influence. However, only the Angkols were successful at keeping their Garlan rivals from overtaking them. At Drake's death at 96, the Garlan Empire would stretch across the deserts of Asarabia and across the frozen fields of Q'Rex. Nobody would challenge his son's ascension but it would be paid for in blood if Paco did not find the Bellroot in time. _

**Adrianople, The Fortress**

Drake stood in the middle of the large courtyard, alone. The gates were closed yet the wind still seemed to flow through the cracks as the large man stared at the huge red gates with iron studs and spikes driven through the tough wood. He was dressed in full plate armor with only his face exposed and he carried two large maces in his iron gloved hands. Nobody was on watch, Drake having told them to leave him in solitude.

"I will live by my words and I will never go back on my promises. The citizens are the ones who bring people in power and I shall respect them as my equal. No god gives me my power and as such, I shall never say a deity has given me strength. Order is the first step to peace. A ruler who must use force to keep order is no ruler at all."

"Sort of a hypocrite, aren't you Drake?"

Drake whipped around, maces ready to smash in the skull of who ever had spoken. The maces stopped short from the old man hobbling towards him. He was dressed in a white robe that covered his ancient skin and he looked like he would just collapse at any moment. Drake glared at the old man who was his grandfather.

"What are you doing out here. I told the soldiers to leave me in peace and turn anyone who dared disturb me away." Drake said, half growling.

Xalender looked at Drake, his patience wearing thin. He had grown tired of his grandson's paranoia and after hearing his son talk to himself, he was more than concerned.

"Drake, do you have any idea how hypocritical you sound? You say that a ruler who rules by force is not a true ruler, yet you continue to crush rebellions without mercy." Xalender said as Drake growled in anger.

Drake seemed to grow angry at that statement. He threw the maces to the side and he glared at his grandfather. Drake had long grown suspicious of his grandfather. The old man could be plotting. The values his parents had taught him were too weak for the changing times. Drake scoffed as he spread his arms wide.

"Sacrifices must be made! Surely you would understand grandfather! I am sure my great grandfather would agree as well! I will never rest until the entire world lies in my grasp! The times are changing grandfather. No longer can we be content with a small kingdom while the Angkols continue to grow. All of the world must belong to me and the Evadeus line or hope is lost for the world. Peter, Sara, Darius and Cyrus would agree with my statement as well! Open your eyes grandfather! We must rise above what we used to be!" Drake explained to Xalender, putting emphasis on the names of the former Garlan monarchs.

Xalender growled in frustration and he pointed accusingly at Drake. How dare Drake! How dare he speak so freely like he was a goddess!

"Do not speak of my father as if you knew him! You were just a small child when he left to be with the goddesses and he served his position faithfully! You know nothing of Garlan motives! We are not to police the world Drake! We do not wage war just for land gains! We wage war to protect our citizens!" Xalender shouted at Drake.

"Silence! I can hear no more of this close minded talk! Leave me! I see I was right to suspect you of trying to hinder me!" Drake shouted as he turned back to the gates.

Xalender smoldered in anger as he stood looking at Drake's back. Finally, the old man turned to return to the safety of his bed. He was much too old for such arguments. If Drake wanted to use paranoia as his shield, then everything was lost. The Garlan Empire will be in ruins.

**Illuminati, Healing Chamber**

"The symptoms are getting worse!"

Chaos broke out in Illuminati as reports of Rosalina Harlem's symptoms started to circulate. Monks ran everywhere, carrying shovels, buckets of water and medicine. Rosalina had a strange disease and nobody could find a cure. On the way, a monk saw Vector and Goldfinger speaking to each other. The monk called them with great urgency and the two mages came over to the monk.

"What is it brother?" Vector asked as the monk pointed towards the place where the monks holding the buckets of water were rushing to.

"It is Rosalina!" the monk said quickly as he looked to where the monks were going. "Her symptoms are getting worse and worse! I fear she will die soon!"

Goldfinger and Vector seemed to seize up when they heard that Rosalina could die. The two mages looked at each other and they quickly ran to the Healing Chamber. They cleared through the hordes of monks carrying water and finally, Goldfinger arrived at the small bed in the very back corner of the stone chamber. The girl seemed weak indeed. Her skin was pale, her eyes were starting to close and her temperature was incredibly high. Goldfinger placed his hand on the girl's forehead and he sighed deeply as he suddenly sunk to his knees and his head bent went limp.

All the monks took steps backward, afraid, A demon was possessing their master! Vector stepped forward, shouting for order and calm.

"It is ok! Our master is keeping the girl alive! Send word to Selim and Fairy Tail! We need as many healers as we can gather! Go! Quickly!" Vector shouted as the hordes of white robed monks ran out of the chamber to spread the news.

Vector turned back to take care of Goldfinger while he fought with the disease inside the girl's mind. He prayed that Goldfinger could keep Rosalina alive long enough for the brothers return with the plant.

**Seria…a shop selling maps**

Paco and his friends had found their way through the streets to come to a famous map shop. It was not crowded at all inside and a variety of maps hung on the old wooden walls. The shopkeeper was standing behind his desk, working on a new map and Paco approached the shopkeeper.

"Excuse me, we are looking for a map pointing us to Solice." Paco said as the shopkeeper looked up.

The shopkeeper put on his glasses and looked behind him at a stack of maps he had. He looked through them for a few seconds and finally pulled one out and handed it to Paco.

"30 shalas." He said as Paco placed the three golden coins on the counter.

As Paco picked up the map, the door to the shop opened and Paco felt a shiver go through his body as he turned around to see who had entered. It was the blonde man he had met before. His eyes glanced at Paco for only a second and he came to the counter. He place ten gold coins on the counter.

"A map of Solice. Detailed with every single landmark and other places of interest marked. This should be more than enough." He said as the shopkeeper nodded and took a map off the wall behind him.

Selim took the map and he looked at the one Paco was holding and Selim smiled when he saw the title of the map.

"You also want to go to Solice. How interesting. Let us hope that our paths do not meet." The man said as he turned and left the shop.

**Chapter took a while. I was a bit distracted because of a few things. I will be writing when I am in California by the way. Expect at least three updates during Spring Break! I hope you liked the chapter. FF**


	8. Cliffhanger

**Eh, felt a little bit uninspired for this chapter. March is really not my favorite month. Well, we are getting closer to the end of the school year and I am happy, yet sad to say that updates will slow down next year because my busy schedule. **

**Hopefully I will be able to finish all of my stories by the summer. Anyways, here is the chapter. Sorry if it feels uninspired, tired, still sick, and just flat out bored right now.**

_After the disturbing little meeting with Selim, Paco's group set out to the wilderness. There were motives behind the group of brothers and it was obvious that they too wanted the Bellroot. However, before the group set out, Paco had something to tell Hitomu. _

**Seria**

The group had left the city and headed into the country side. The continent was mostly dry with some savannas and the occasional fountain spring. Paco and his friends were taking shelter underneath a small tree with thin wooden branches and green leaves hanging from them. The day was hot and the group was thankful for the shade. They had gotten the map from the shop a while ago and it seemed that it would be getting dark soon.

The countryside was different yet the same as the city. There were many houses where natural springs rose and only a few where savannas lay. Medium height grass grew from the ground and several wild animals stalked the grass, making it risky to travel through it. Paco was at the very edge of the tall grass. The group was talking and setting out their mats so they could sleep soon. Travelling in the dark was risky. Hitomu was putting his mat near the base of the tree and the others around it as well. Paco was setting his up near the grass when he looked at Hitomu, remembering why Hitomu had agreed to come along.

"Hitomu, remember what you told us in Delray?" asked Paco as he scratched his head.

The mage in the skullcap looked at Paco and nodded his head slowly. The other mages stopped what they were doing and looked at Paco, wondering what he was about to say. Paco put his mat on the ground and scratched his head again.

"I've been thinking. You said something about your sister being taken by bandits right? You did say the bandits went off to Seria, right?" Paco asked as Hitomu nodded.

"Yeah, they went off to Seria. I chased after them, but I failed." Hitomu said as the sun started to drop down in the horizon.

Paco nodded slowly, feeling the changes in temperature as the sun set. He wanted to look at the sunset but he needed to tell Hitomu something first. He looked back at the black haired mage.

"I'm going to help you get your sister back Hitomu. I know this sounds really, weird and unnecessary, but I seriously want to help you." Paco said seriously as Hitomu just smiled.

The black haired mage laid back on his mat, the light level starting to fall. He was smiling and he looked up at the tree branches. Fuu and Shizen were also getting ready to sleep.

"…thanks. I wouldn't have trusted you back then, but I think I can now. They went to a cave off in Falsia, it was near a weird black crystal thing and was surrounded by tall smooth white stones." Hitomu explained.

Paco tried not to gasp when Hitomu mentioned the smooth rocks. The Seer's Cave was the place where Hitomu had described. It was a sacred ground to anyone who lived in the Garlan Empire as legend said that the seer, awoke only when spoken to by an individual of peculiar quality. It was said that Sara had visited the seer before she went to conquer Fiore, but the seer refused to wake up. Paco looked up at Hitomu, his facial expression a bit skeptical.

"The Seer's Cave, are you sure? I don't think bandits would want to disturb Sol, the seer who lives in that cave." said Paco as Shizen giggled.

Hitomu nodded his head. The sun was completely down by then, only a shred of light coming down on the group.

"It was the cave. I remember clearly." explained Hitomu as Fuu spoke up.

"You sure know a lot about things related to the Garlan Empire…" the thief said from his mat.

Paco grew red at that statement. Thankfully, nobody could see very well. Paco quickly made up an excuse.

"…my dad is a historian. We will go to The Seer's Cave as soon as it gets light out!" Paco said as Hitomu nodded and closed his eyes.

Everyone started to drift off to sleep and Paco lay on his mat, thinking about what would happen when they would reach Seer's Cave. Would Sol be ok? Would Sol awake at the sound of their voices? These questions were buzzing around Paco's mind as he drifted off into sleep.

**?**

A single light burned through the night, the orange fire lighting up the group travelling through the forest late at night. There were two men, all blonde haired and of different heights. The tallest one carried a torch in one hand and a sword in the other. The short brother stood next to him, carrying a map in his hands. They walked through the forest noisily and the tallest brother looked around the dark forest with a frown.

"A forest in Seria, this is a diverse place indeed." He said as Temur nodded and looked down at the map.

Suddenly there was a rustle as another blonde haired man came through the trees, snapping branches as he went. Mahmut was carrying his sword and he suddenly froze as Selim looked at him. The oldest brother frowned.

"What is it Mahmut." Selim asked as Temur suddenly growled.

"Grapplers*…" Temur hissed as Selim handed the torch to his brother and Mahmut stalked over to his brothers and held his sword out in front of him.

The three brothers stood with their backs to each other in a triangular formation. Temur rolled up the map and stuck it into his robe. Soon enough, the sounds of chirping came. They grew louder and louder until Selim lashed out with his sword, the dead animal falling to the ground. The sharp, gripping claws of the monkey-like creatures lashed out but could not harm the brothers as they slashed the creatures before they could sink their claws into flesh. Temur plunged the sword into the Grappler's chest as it tried to attach itself to his chest and he flicked it away as Mahmut killed three with a slash across the neck. Eventually, Selim got tired of fighting the annoying creatures. He slammed his sword into the ground, causing fire to jet from the ground, creating a circle of fire around the three brothers. The Grappler's jumped back, afraid of the blazing flames. The vile creatures soon turned on their heels and fled, chirping in fear as they avoided the angry flames. The fires soon went out but Selim's sword was still covered in flame as the three brothers put their swords away. Selim turned to his brothers as they continued through the forest.

"Beware of the wildlife. Kill any animals we come across." Selim said flatly as the brothers nodded and the light in the dark night soon moved deeper into the forest.

**The next day, later….**

"Gah!" grunted Paco as his hand reached up to grab the rocky ledge directly above him.

The runaway prince tried not to think about what would happen if he let go. He was barely hanging onto a rocky ledge, fifty feet above the ground. It didn't seem like much but when you looked down, you could feel your death getting closer. Fuu had proved to be the best climber and he was already at the top, Shizen not too far behind the thief. Hitomu was doing alright as well and Paco, was in dead last.

"Don't look down…" Paco gasped as he inched up the rocky wall, desperately trying not to let go.

Apparently, this was the only way to get to Seer's Cave without making a two day detour over a scorching desert. The geography of Seria was definitely crazy. Paco remembered how easy he thought it was going to be when he walked into Fairy Tail a while ago. He grit his teeth and boosted himself up the next inch. It was going to be a long climb.

…

Paco lay at the top of the cliff, gasping. Hitomu had to pull him the last few inches and even at that, he barely made it up. Sweat pooled on the ground as everyone sat at the top of the cliff, breathing hard. The cave looked exactly as Hitomu had said. There were several tall, smooth, white rocks surrounding the cave entrance although a large black crystal blocked half of the entrance. Paco eventually sat up, feeling a little bit better. Sweat drenched everything but he was ready to take the dive into the cave, anywhere but the cliff again.

"A…alright. L…lets go." wheezed as Paco shakily walked towards the cave entrance as his friends laughed and followed him.

The Seer's Cave, this is where the journey begins, for justice.

**This took too much time to finish. I got a stomach ache in the middle of it actually. Don't expect a chapter tomorrow, I will be busy.**

**References: *Grapplers are monkey-like creatures that are very territorial. They come in a variety of different colors, orange, black, brown and dark red and their claws are infamous for being razor sharp and they will not let go, even after they are killed. **

**Anyways, I hope you liked the chapter! FF**


	9. You are Destined for Greatness

**Sorry for the incredibly long wait for this chapter. I was going through some writers block and some events in my life were being dumb so I couldn't really write anything.**

**If you've noticed I haven't been as inspired recently because finals are coming up within a month and drumline tryouts are coming within 2 weeks. **

**This chapter might surprise you guys. Enjoy.**

Thankfully, the cave was not entirely dark, thanks to torches that burned from odd places within the stone grey walls. The cave was drafty at first, but got warmers as they got deeper into it. The cave was mostly stone, a few tufts of dried grass from time to time. Their footsteps echoed on the stone floor as they walked through the semi-dark cave, trying to find their way through.

"…I really don't like caves…." Fu grumbled as Paco looked all around the cave, pointing up to a small stone staircase that had a torch burning next to it.

The staircase had been hidden by a large cracked rock and the group quickly went up the staircase, Hitomu poking Fu as they went up.

"Cheer up, at least we aren't dead, eh?"

"Yeah, that makes me feel _a lot _better Hitomu…"

"Can you guys be quiet, for even a little bit? I don't want anyone to hear us!" Shizen whispered at the two mages as they nodded.

They continued through the cavern, feeling their way along the cold stone walls, finding the occasional torch. The cave seemed to have been dug by a human as there were several stone paths that split at a large stone cavern with several wooden signs carved with crude messages. Paco looked at one, frowning as he read it out loud.

"Go away, or die," Paco read as he turned to the rest of the group, their bodies barely illuminated by the dull torchlight, "Eh, what was I expecting, they're bandits after all."

Everyone smiled at that and Paco looked up at the largest path and headed through it confidently, his friends right next to him. The lighting slowly decreased as they continued down the path. Nobody spoke as they walked into the darkness, and Paco could feel his heart beating against his chest.

'_Just where are these bandits…' _he wondered as suddenly a voice rang through the darkness.

"The old man up yet?"

Everyone froze in their tracks. Their hearts beat rapidly as they advanced forward carefully, trying not to make any noise. The suspense was unbearable as they crept further down the path, seeing a dim light ahead. The group silently came to the dim light and looked around the room they saw. There were torches stuck in the dirt that covered the floor and the back wall of the room was a stone wall with moss covering the entire wall besides a few places. Light streamed down from a small hole in the stone ceiling and illuminated a wooden table where a man wearing furs was biting into a piece of meat. Off to the side of the room were several metal cages. Two other men were standing in front of the cages. Hitomu growled slightly when he saw the cages. Nobody else might have seen her, but Hitomu did. His sister was there, in the cages. Several sleeping bags were laid out on the dirt floor and weapons lay on a rack against the other side of the room where a single bandit was swinging a sword around like it was a toothpick. Paco gulped. The other palace children never said it to his face, but Paco knew they had always made fun of his lack of strength.

"Chin up, Paco." Fu whispered and Paco breathed deeply and nodded his head. He couldn't afford to be afraid.

One of the bandits near the cages peered into one of the rusty cages and shook his bald head.

"Nah, he ain't awake yet boss." said the bandit as the man at the table slammed his fist down.

"Damn it!" he shouted, his face one of impatience, "When the hell is that old geezer wake up and tell me I am destined for greatness!"

The other bandit near the cages shrugged and looked into the other cage and pointed to whatever was inside. Hitomu growled a bit louder.

"Hey, Boss, when are we going to get the girl ready for shipment? I thought we finished up the contract a while ago."

The bandit sitting at the table finished his food and stood up, wiping the grease away with his fur. His face darkened as he walked over the cage, looking into it. He had a wickedly curved axe strapped to his side and he groaned slightly.

"Bah, those Garlan ships won't stop patrolling! Every single time we load up the ships with the slaves, the Dark Water Fleet* shows up and we have to make a run for it!" the bandit chief griped as he rubbed his dirty wrist and his face lightened, "Ah, whatever. We'll make a good profit from her. The Angkols are never in shortage of palace servants."

The two bandits snickered as they turned back to the cages and Paco turned to the group to formulate some sort of plan before fighting the bandits. Paco was about to talk about the plan when Fu rolled his eyes and pointed down towards the room. Paco looked behind him at the room and groaned when he saw Hitomu running down the stone steps towards the bandits. Paco threw up his hands in frustration and shouted as everyone ran down the stairs, shouting.

"Go! Go!" Fu shouted as he slammed his fist into the face of one of the bandits standing near the cages.

"Roar of the Leaf Dragon!" Shizen shouted as hundreds of leaves blasted from her mouth, whirling green mass smashing straight into the other bandit near the cage, knocking him over.

While Fu and Shizen easily defeated the two bandits near the cages, Paco had somehow found himself fighting the bandit chief. This was not good. The curved axe swung over Paco's head as he dodged and the prince jumped out of the way as the bandit chief tried to spike him on the axe's point.

"Psychic! Shatter!" Paco shouted as the curved axe vibrated violently, and then stopped.

Paco would have stood there and stared if the axe was not coming straight for his neck. He ducked just in time, the axe rushing through the air. Paco was about to try the spell again when he saw the axe coming from the side and jumped out of the way. Pain shot through his body as the axe blade sliced across Paco's arm, the blood spilling onto the dirt floor. Paco cried out in pain as he fell to ground, watching as Fu and Shizen came running, shouting at him. But Paco couldn't move, he was too stunned at the pain shooting through him. Paco twisted his neck to see the bandit chief and he saw the axe slamming down towards him. Was this the end?

"I don't think so."

_Clang_

The axe became a glint of steel as it flew through the air and smashed into the wooden table. Paco looked up at the bandit chief in surprise. The bandit chief was being attacked, by a werewolf? Shizen and Fu were around Paco so his vision was blocked, but he could hear the screams from the bandit chief as the werewolf smashed its claws into the chief's body. Finally, after tearing completely through the bandit's defense, the werewolf lifted the bandit boss into the air and threw him against the back wall, the body landing with a dull crack. Paco stared in awe as the werewolf looked at him and gave a faint smile. The wolf like features slowly melted away, the wears becoming normal ears, the hairy body becoming normal, and the features of a human becoming more apparent. It was Hitomu.

He looked at Paco and smiled weakly.

"Tada, that's my magic."

If Paco had not been injured, he would have jumped up and high fived Hitomu. Instead, he grinned, the pain being slowly forgotten as Shizen and Fu tore the pants of one of the bandits and used it as a bandage.

"Hitomu! That was _awesome! _That was absolutely, positively, one of the best uses of Take Over I have ever seen!" he shouted as Hitomu slowly grinned.

Fu and Shizen helped Paco stand, the dark blue bandage wrapped around Paco's left arm. The prince-in-hiding pointed to the key ring that was hooked on one of the bandit's belts. Fu retrieved the key ring and pointed towards the cages.

"Let's open these up!"

…

"Hitomu!"

The squeal of a girl sounded as the cage was opened and Hitomu hugged the girl that came out. She didn't look too much like Hitomu with green eyes and chocolate brown hair. She was of small and thin build, unlike Hitomu and had a body much like Paco's.

"You have no idea how hard I worked to get you back, Mika!" Hitomu said happily as the two continued to hug.

Everyone smiled at the heartwarming sight of siblings that were united. Eventually the two stopped hugging and Hitomu introduced his sister to everyone. Everybody said hi and Mika proved to be quite shy although she was fun to be around. The group talked for a while until Fu held up the key ring again.

"…We still have one more cage to open guys…" he said quietly as everyone quieted down and gathered around the cage door as Fu inserted the key and the cage door swung open with a creak.

Mika peered inside, having spent a lot of time right next to the old man that lay sleeping inside. He didn't talk at all, and was never awake. He was wearing burlap clothes and Fu and Hitomu went inside to lift the man. Hitomu touched the old man first and drew back when the old man stirred and started to speak, quietly, but his voice was imposing to those who heard it. Nobody besides Hitomu heard what the old man said.

"Hmmph…you and your friend are destined for greatness. You will be aligned with the Duster Line**. Your name may be not be recorded in history, but your mark will be great, survive, and you shall be remembered by those who you call family." The old man whispered as Hitomu drew back, confused by what the old man said.

Fu just looked at Hitomu and knelt down to pick the old man up.

"What are you doing Hitomu-"

"Ha…you are the other one destined for greatness. Your paths may never cross again, but you shall lead the life your father once led, one of speed, skill, and chivalry. Be patient, and await your calling to step into your father's shoes." The old man whispered as Fu stumbled back, falling against the cage.

Paco stepped into the cage and grabbed the old man and lifted him and carried him out of the cage. The old man did not speak any further and Paco laid him on top of one of the sleeping bags. He was disappointed the Seer hadn't said anything to him, but they had to keep moving. The group quickly left the cave, leaving the Seer behind. As they left, the Seer's lips moved slowly.

"Peter II, born from strength, life through skill, death through betrayal…you must keep your guard up, always…"

…

**That was the chapter! I am pretty happy with how this chapter came out. There was plenty of foreshadowing in this chapter, especially with the Seer. **

**References: *I said this before, but in case you didn't know, the Dark Water Fleet is the Garlan Navy**

****The Duster Line is the ruling family of the Garlan Empire after the Evadeus line dies out. Hitomu's family tree would extend to the point that one of his descendants would change his last name to, "Duster" and would gain the favor of the last of the Evadeus line, Zariush. The first of the Duster line (Scott Duster) would take the throne and establish a new dynasty and the Duster Line would rule the Garlan Empire until its breakup.**

**This chapter was really fun to write, and expect a good fight next chapter! Thanks for reading, and drp a review! FF**


	10. Horrible Sign

**Here is the next chapter for To Solice and back. Also, I noticed that nobody has been reviewing so if you liked the chapter, try to leave a review. The reviews really give me inspiration to do anything else and I'm going to need the inspiration especially with drumline tryouts coming up.**

**Anyways, here we have the first confrontation! Enjoy.**

"You know, you don't have to come with us anymore."

Hitomu looked at Paco weirdly. They had just come out of the cave, the bright sunlight stinging their eyes. Hitomu smiled at Paco's words.

"Oh come on, I didn't come here just to find my sister. That was only part of the reason why. I'll follow you to the end of this journey!" he shouted as everyone nodded and grinned.

Paco nodded his head, joy growing inside of him. Hitomu's sister smiled as everyone turned to face the woodlands that lay just around the cave. They had lost a lot of time by getting Hitomu's sister back. Paco reached into his pack and pulled out the map. Solice was not very close, but it was not very far away. Paco grinned and folded up the map. The Bellroot had to be growing there!

"Let's go! To find the Bellroot!" Paco shouted as everyone took off towards the woodlands.

Double time! Head to Solice!

…

"Bah!" Hitomu shouted as he broke through a cluster of hard branches that were blocking the way.

The group was breathing hard as they came through the hole that Hitomu had created. Everyone was completely out of breath as they collapsed on the ground, feeling the coolness of the leaves and moisture in the ground. Everyone had made a long run from the Seer's Cave to wherever they were now. They had crossed long woodlands, tropical rain forest, and even a desert! Paco sat up, still breathing hard, his hair matted with sweat.

'_Father, no matter what, I will cure you of your terrible disease and ease your burden. Your sins may never be forgiven, but I can take part of the blame. Just wait, father.' _Paco thought as his breathing slowed down.

Fuu was the first to stand, coughing as he looked around the landscape. They were surrounded by mostly forest, but there was a plain up ahead with some rocks that were stacked on top of each other. Mika was the next to stand, already filled with energy. Ever since Mika had been rescued, Hitomu seemed to be a lot stronger. Paco smiled as he thought of what else would happen on this little adventure. He pulled out the map again, looking at it and frowning. There were a few landmarks on the map, and they seemed to be near the edges of the section of the map labeled 'Solice'. Paco looked up and looked down at the field with the rocks stacked on top of each other.

"Did we…did we really run that far?" Paco asked, getting a laugh from Fuu.

Shizen looked at the map as well and she traced her finger along the route they had taken. The run had taken almost a full day. However, they had stopped in the middle to eat and go to the bathroom.

"Oh wow, we did run very far. It shouldn't be a very long way from Solice then! Just a few more miles until the Bellroot is ours!" Shizen exclaimed excitedly.

Paco nodded his head. He clenched his fists, allowing himself to breath more. The smells of the forest flooded his body, something he had never smelled before. The natural world was truly beautiful. He folded the map and put it back in his pack, grunting as he put the pack back on his back. The group continued through the forest, moving tirelessly. However, they were a lot closer to an enemy than they thought.

…

"Selim! Where are we?" asked Mahmut as the older brother looked down at the map he was holding in his hand.

The tall blonde haired man growled in frustration as he looked down at the map. Everything was so confusing! They had passed a group of rocks at least five times so far, and yet, nothing had appeared! They were currently standing in front of a huge line of boulders, obviously placed by some ancient civilization. Strange markings were everywhere on the boulders and Selim rested himself against one of the cold boulders. He sighed.

"Temur, do we have any water left?" he asked as the shorter brother checked his canteen and nodded his head as he took a swig.

Selim seemed satisfied as he closed his eyes and rested himself against the boulder. Mahmut was busy observing the map that Selim had left lying on the ground and Temur was checking the supplies they had with them.

_Snap_

Selim's eyes shot open. He motioned to the two brothers who froze. The oldest brother looked around the forest and then noticed something moving within the heavy tree line. Mahmut followed his brother's gaze and squinted to make out the figures who were hidden behind the trees. Mahmut nodded his head and turned to Selim. He held up five fingers and made a motion of walking on two legs. Selim nodded and pointed at Temur.

Temur shook his head and Mahmut nodded. Selim looked around the area and found a small area where they could move forward. Selim pointed to the space between two boulders and the brothers quickly made their way towards the crack. Unfortunately, one of them stepped on a branch that let out a sharp cracking sound. In an instant, voices shouted and pointed them towards where Selim and his brothers were trying to slip by.

"I heard something over there!"

Selim managed to squeeze himself through and Temur quickly followed, but Mahmut go himself halfway through when he suddenly brought himself out of the crack and drew his sword.

"Mahmut! What the hell are you doing!" Selim shouted at Mahmut as the youngest brother gave a grin and waved his sword.

"No use in trying to slip away, Selim. They already found us. I will hold them off while you continue on!" Mahmut shouted as Temur and Selim nodded reluctantly and quickly went on their way, trying to put as much distance between them and Mahmut.

However, Temur and Selim could not help but feel a feeling of worry for their brother who they had left behind. Could he fend off the chasers?

_Auwwwooooo!_

Selim and Temur grit their teeth. That was a horrible sign.

**Mahmut**

The sword flashed as Paco came through the bushes, the sword cutting the side strap of Paco's bag, causing it to fall to the forest floor. Paco dove to the side in surprise, panic on his face. Hitomu blocked the sword with his arm guard and Fuu batted the sword away with a crystal shield. Shizen and Mika came last, fiercely protected by Hitomu once they appeared.

Mahmut grinned. He had been looking forward to this. His thin white shirt was smudge with mud and his leather trousers had dust all over them. However, Mahmut's sword was sharp as ever. His blue eyes reflected a will to battle and the sword mage roared.

"**So you want to chase after my brothers? Then you'll have to fight against me! Face the power of the Knights of Saar! Rah!" **he shouted as he charged forward towards Fuu, his crystal sword already raised to protect himself.

The first battle against a Harlem brother! Mahmut of the Knights of Saar!

**There we go. It was a quick chapter because I am currently working on a big chapter for my latest story, Rise of the Phantom Lord. It is pretty much a reboot of Nithin Story. Anyways, like I said above, make sure to review because it really helps me out. I really need to the inspiration at this point and I will be seeing you all later! FF**


	11. Mahmut

**I had this chapter written out before, but I deleted the draft because I thought it was just words on a page instead of a real chapter. I am taking a different approach to the fights in this story. If you couldn't tell so far: I am trying to keep the fights short and quick. It works well with the Harlem brothers because they aren't exactly mages. Mages are weak to physical attack (believe it or not) and Warriors are weak to magical attack. It creates a balance of power. **

**Anyways, here is the fight against Mahmut. Enjoy.**

_Clang_

Fuu let out a grunt as he batted the steel sword away and tried to plunge his crystal sword into Mahmut's body. The swordsman moved quickly, having been trained to be very fast. The sword flashed as Paco let out a shout towards Fuu. Shizen and Hitomu also cried out as Fuu saw the sword from the corner of his helmet visor. He tried to move out of the way but Mahmut was too fast! There was an earsplitting clang as the sword connected with the metal flare of the helmet that protected his neck. Fuu was knocked back, sliding across the forest floor, cursing as Mahmut darted his eyes from Hitomu and Paco.

The swordsman wasted no time in choosing his next target. While Fuu was not completely out of the fight, the sword had damaged his neck protector, squeezing his neck in an uncomfortable manner. He had to be careful in moving his head. The son of the thief watched as Mahmut ran towards Paco, his sword glinting in the sunlight as Paco held out a fist.

"Physic!" shouted Paco as Mahmut's sword suddenly vibrated violently, sending the swordsman's sword suddenly slamming into the ground.

The prince-in-disguise let out a sigh as he dodged out of the way as Mahmut struggled to pull out his sword from the tough forest floor. The Knight of Saar quickly pulled out knives and threw them at Paco as he dodged one, the second one sinking itself into his backpack, and the last one cutting across his cheek as he dove behind a tree. Mahmut let out a roar of frustration as the sword was pulled from the ground, only to be batted out of his hands by Hitomu's beast form. The warrior did not seem scared as he dodged sharp claws and kicked the huge werewolf-like creature in the snout, slamming his fists into its stomach and then quickly sinking a knife into its furry side. Hitomu let out a howl of pain but quickly moved to defeat the swordsman as Paco emerged from behind the tree, blood trickling from his cheek. He looked up at the rocks that Mahmut had his back to and he smiled. It was almost finished.

"Is that all you got, creature?" Mahmut roared as Hitomu's claws raked across Mahmut's studded trousers.

The fight seemed to be evenly matched, which was absurd because of Hitomu's strength in his beast form. Mahmut seemed to be used to fighting such powerful creatures as Paco used his Physic to send Mahmut's sword flying against the rock wall. Mahmut responded by pulling two knives from hidden sheaths in his trousers and sending them flying towards Paco and Fuu, who was lying on the ground, trying to wrench the helmet open. Paco saw this and his eyes widened as he grabbed his backpack and dove in front of the vulnerable Fuu, feeling the impact of the knives as they plunged into the backpack. Paco fell onto the forest floor, Fuu handing him a sword made of crystal. The sword was a pinkish color and was largely translucent. Fuu continued to bend his neckpiece as Paco gripped the sword and looked at the helmeted companion.

"Hitomu needs a little bit more help. Shizen is going to be our trump card so go on and help Hitomu. I can take care of myself." Fuu grunted as Paco nodded and stood up from the ground, gripping the sword.

Hitomu and Mahmut were locked in a deadlock, Mahmut was not in the position yet! Paco gripped the sword tightly as he ran towards Mahmut, brandishing is sword proudly. The crystal sword worked surprisingly well, cutting through Mahmut's studded trousers and Paco was about to slash across the man's back when a foot smashed into him as he tried to and the prince slammed into the ground. Hitomu let out a snarl as he took the opportunity to grab Mahmut and bringing him to face the wall of stones. Standing on top of them was Shizen, grinning triumphantly. The battle would have been a stalemate if Shizsen had not been there. Mahmut's sword had been dropped and the swordsman struggled in the werewolf's grip.

"Roar of the Leaf Dragon!" shouted Shizen as a hurricane of green erupted from her mouth, slamming straight into Mahmut, the man screaming and then slumping forward.

Paco wearily high-fived Shizen as she hopped down from the rocks. Without her, who knows how long the fight would have dragged on. Mahmut was lain against the rock wall and the group wiped the sweat from their brows as they all leaned against the rock, unable to continue. It had been a tough battle, and it would only be tougher. They would rest for now, moving through the gap in the rocks towards the Bellroot. They would have to move even faster than before because of the time lost to the fight. Could they do it?

**Somewhere in Solice**

The last of the wolves were cut down as Selim took his sword out of the last wolf. Temur was looking at the bloodstained map and he put it down when he saw that they were on the right track. Selim sheathed his sword, his face grim. For every second lost not advancing towards the Bellroot, Rosalina lost a second of her precious life. They had to move forward, no matter what.

"Temur, come. We are close to the Bellroot."

**This chapter took way too much time to finish. Evidently, I am not having much inspiration for this story right now. Shizen will get her own fight, don't worry. FF**


	12. The Journey

**I am so happy right now! I did it! I made drumline, as a snare no less! My hard work finally paid off, and I just wanted to thank my instructor for teaching me all the things I learned to get to this spot. Unfortunately for you guys, this means less updates. I know I updated at least every other day a few months ago, but now that Sophomore year is starting and I need to be practicing a lot, I just can't update as much. I really hope it won't go down to the point that I can only update once per month. **

**Anyways, here is the second to last chapter of the story! I have a new story out so go check it out! OCs will be appearing near the end of my new story. I am planning to finish this story by the end of the month, and I will not be starting anything new until everything is completed (excluding Rise of the Phantom Lord…considering deleting it).**

**Here is the chapter! Enjoy.**

The battle had been hard fought, but we had done it! We had pulled through! We had to thank Shizen for being the trump card that we played at the most crucial moment. Mahmut had obviously been a close combat fighter, and his weakness had not been difficult to figure out. The only problem was, would the other brothers be as easy? Paco was slightly dazed, Fuu was bleeding from his neck and parts of his arm, and Hitomu was bleeding from a lot of places. Shizen and Paco worked to patch the members of their group up, but the doubt still remained: could they make it in time?

Paco was having doubts about his own abilities as well. He had done almost nothing to help the group and he was starting to feel as if he was too weak to carry on. He had always felt sheltered in the palace. Was this the reason for his weakness? Or had his father always known that he was a weak child and tried to keep him safe from the dangerous world? Also, something strange was also bothering him. He kept seeing strange things. The first occurrence had been at Fairy Tail. He had seen someone get in a fight with another person, although the people were nothing more than spirits.

He had his second episode near the Seer's Cave, although he didn't tell anyone. He saw a group of soldiers and a woman walking into the cave. The second vision was suppressed for a while until Paco left the cave. He didn't even realize that he had seen the spirits. The third had been soon after the fight against Mahmut. He saw tribes people stacking boulders to create the long wall of boulders that stood in front of them. Paco was not feeling good, at all. It was Shizen's voice that brought him out of his own strange thoughts.

"Paco, Paco!"

The young prince gasped as he realized where he was. He was in the forest, sitting on a bed of pine needles and other various leaves. The soft dirt was damp like it had rained and Paco lifted his hand to see the red color of blood streaking down it. He looked away from his hand towards Shizen, the one who had called him from his own thoughts.

"Oh, sorry. I was just thinking about home." said Paco, trying to act neutral.

Shizen nodded. She understood how Paco felt. His father was terribly ill and he needed the Bellroot to get better. Everyone had followed Paco here for their own reasons. For Hitomu, it was to save his sister. For Fuu, it was to go on an adventure on which he could steal some interesting items. For her, it was to bury something that she held dear to her: the claw of her dragon father. He had been killed trying to defend her, and Shizen had kept the claw close ever since, trying to find the most appropriate place to bury it. She though the Bellroot's growing place would be the best place. She looked over at Fuu who was applying a bandage to his neck and Hitomu was busy mopping up the blood from own wounds, sneaking glances at Mahmut who was laid against the rocks. The Take Over mage grumbled as he closed his wounds.

"Ugh, he just fought a battle with four people and he doesn't even look hurt!" Hitomu grumbled as Fuu glanced over and chuckled.

The thief was repairing his helmet as best he could as he jokingly told the Take Over mage his own feelings about Mahmut's apparent uninjured state.

"Hah, what are you talking about? We won Hitomu! We all worked together to beat him. We're winners." Fuu said coolly as he pushed another dent out of his helmet.

Mika was sitting with them, admiring the flowers and Hitomu looked at her and sighed.

"Fuu, it's not about winning. It's about how strong we really are. I'm ready to go, are you?" Hitomu asked as Fuu nodded.

"Yeah, let me get this last dent out. Hey, Paco, Shizen, ready to go?" Fuu asked the two.

Paco and Shizen nodded and Paco tied the backpack trap together again. This journey was rough, but it was going to be worth it. His father must come out of his protective shell if he was going to rule effectively. The group looked at the narrow space between the rocks and looked at each other.

"Uh, Shizen, do you want to go first?" asked Hitomu as everyone laughed.

They were on the way to the Bellroot. Not much farther now.

**Q'Rex**

Once again, The Garlan Empire had proven their dominance. They had defeated Q'Rex and they added the frozen lands to their vast empire. The victory ceremony was to take place in The Icicle Palace, the seat of the Q'Rex monarchy. Drake had deported the royal family yesterday and he was now the ruler of Q'Rex. The throne room of the Icicle Palace was magnificent, rivaling that of the throne room in Seria. The entire building was made of ice. The glass windows were frosted and the dark blue carpet with golden edging led to the throne made of solid ice. The throne room was crowded with soldiers and generals. Finally, the fanfare was played and all eyes were set rigidly on the throne.

"Presenting his imperial majesty, Drake Evadeus, the 8th ruler of the Garlan Empire!"

The soldiers immediately knelt as this was called out and the generals saluted as Drake's huge form appeared. Drake looked even stronger than he had before and he confidently sat on the cold throne of the Icicle Palace. He opened his mouth to speak.

"I am Drake the Defiler! I rule the Ice Fields now! The people of Q'Rex will be treated equally! The hate that my great, great grandfather spread during his reign must not appear again! Is this clear?" he boomed to his soldiers and generals.

"Yes, your majesty!" they shouted as Drake nodded, thinking about how vast his empire had become.

Would he be able to maintain it, or would it all crumble before him?

**Somewhere in Solice**

The closer they got to the Bellroot's position, the louder the ringing became. It was a strange and annoying sound. Perhaps it was the Bellroot? They had travelled very far without stopping and Mika was the first to point something out.

"A flower! I see the flowers!" she shouted as everyone looked where she was pointing.

Sure enough, a group of flowers was growing next to a large oak tree. Paco smiled at the flowers and was about to turn away when he decided to check the map. He pulled out the rolled up map and he observed it carefully. There was a landmark that symbolized a huge oak tree…and it was right next to the Bellroot. The ringing noise was now incredibly loud. Hitomu, Fuu, and Shizen went to look at the map with Paco, and they too realized that they were close. Mika continued to admire the flowers and the group moved towards the tree cautiously. Had Selim come already? They crept across the forest floor quietly and the looked around the tree.

There behind the large oak tree, was a white plant that seemed to glow. The ringing noise had ceased and Paco carefully reached out to grab it when his hand touched something that felt like a wire. Paco reared back, fear flooding into his eyes.

"Look out!" Paco screamed.

But it was too late.

**Sort of a cliffhanger. Sorry this took so long. I really have nothing to say but that. FF**


	13. Bellroot

**Here's the final chapter for all of you. I recently finished my exams and I did well. It is now officially summer, so I have more time for writing! Expect some more chapters for Dragon Myth soon! I'm finishing up all my stories until I post another one. I have a short story planned out and a big project ready for when To Solice and Back and Dragon Myth are finished.**

**Enjoy.**

"Get back!"

Hitomu immediately pushed Mika behind him, bracing for what might happen. Fu and Shizen completed a triangle around Mika. There was a flash and dense smoke billowed from an explosive. Vision was completely cut off and nobody could see anything! Or that's what they thought. The smoke quickly cleared on the side where Mika was being protected, but the smoke where Paco had been last seen had not disappeared. Paco was lost in a grey mist.

"Don't worry about protecting the girl. I won't hurt her,"

Fuu realized how much trouble they were in. With the smoke gone, they had vision, but they were still surrounded on all sides by trees and bushes. An enemy could be hiding behind anything! Suddenly Fuu felt pain crash through his body. His eyes widened as he looked to see a sword sticking out of his stomach. Fuu let out a cry of pain and terror as Hitomu and Shizen looked over to see Fu screaming for no reason at all, his body intact.

"T-that's impossible!" screamed Fuu as he fell to his knees, grabbing at the air as Hitomu and Shizen stood next to him, having put Mika in a safe place for now.

The two ages tried desperately to calm Fuu down but to no avail as their friend continued to scream and clutch at the air, his eyes wide with fear. Hitomu growled as he slowly transformed into his wolf form and Shizen prepared herself for a possible attack. The two mages quickly turned to the bushes as they rustled and out stepped a blonde haired man wearing plate armor, holding a sword made of steel with purple shards forged into the blade. He looked over at Fuu who had fallen silent, his eyes falling upon the blonde haired man. Fuu's mouth opened and closed but no sounds came out as the man turned to Hitomu and Shizen.

"A wolf man and a dragon slayer, huh? This fight will not be easy under normal circumstance. However," the blonde haired man raised his sword, the purple shards glittering in the sun, "this fight will not take place under normal circumstances."

Hitomu planted his feet into the ground and bared his fangs as the man disappeared in a blur. Shizen and Hitomu guarded each other's backs as their eyes darted around the wilderness, trying to find their attacker. Hitomu sniffed the air, trying to pinpoint the attacker and suddenly caught onto something. He was coming! Hitomu slammed his claw forward into the air in front of him and the blonde haired man materialized in front of him, grinning. His sword was stuck between Hitomu's claw and blood trickled from the wound. Suddenly Hitomu let out a howl and grabbed his head with his hands.

"Hitomu, what's wrong!" shouted Shizen worriedly as Hitomu let out a growls of anger and shook his head violently.

The blonde man moved away from Hitomu, grinning. His sword had traces of blood on it and his eyes flickered over to Fuu who was slowly standing up, his face twisted in anger. He was shaking a little bit was otherwise not harmed. In a few seconds several swords made of crystals appeared around him, all aiming straight towards the blonde man. He smirked at the crystal swords.

"Well, what do we have here? A crystal mage? I've never fought one before, but I doubt you can defeat me. You can call me Temur and I suspect that you have already discovered my ability." smirked Temur as Fuu nodded darkly.

"You possess the Nightmare Sword, one of ten swords that were forged by Mastu, the only Magical Blacksmith to exist. Your sword can extend a field of horrors into the mind of a single victim, making them unable to move," said Fuu as he clenched his fists, "Well, now that I know your abilities, you should be easy to defeat! Go my swords!"

The crystal swords quickly shot towards Temur, still holding his sword and smirking. This kid was smart, but he wasn't completely right about his abilities. He raised his sword into the air, the sword glowing black. A second before the swords reached Temur, a wall of black glass stopped the swords, reflecting them. Fuu growled as he he watched the swords fail against the wall of black glass. He could protect himself, but at what cost? Fuu had his answer as he saw Hitomu groggily stand up, shaking his head in confusion.

"Hitomu, try to remain calm! His sword can extend horror into your mind! He can only use it on one victim at a time, so let's all try to work together to win this!" shouted Fuu as the wall of black glass disappeared, revealing Temur, a blank look on his face.

The blonde haired man raised his sword and smirked. Hitomu, Fuu and Shizen realized what it was going to take to win this. One of them had to take the damage while the other two went on to fight!

"I think I will defeat all three of you right now! Nightmare Extension!" roared Temur as the blade was slammed into the ground, tendrils of darkness coming from the ground where the blade was planted.

The three mages ran forward, dodging the tendrils as they attempted to ensnare the mages. Fuu felt one latch onto him and he saw the horrible images that flew past his mind as he struggled to move forward. In his mind, he stayed calm, remembering what he had come for. He saw Hitomu and Shizen get tangled in the tendrils as well and Fuu realized Temur's true weakness.

It was true that he held one of the most powerful and valuable swords in existence, but he was too carefree with the sword. He was too cocky, leaving openings for a killing blow. Fuu clenched his fists as he fought a mental battle with Temur's tendrils of terror. He saw Hitomu break free of the masses of tendrils that had swarmed over him and Shizen had gotten free as well. Temur grinned and raised his sword, the tendrils disappearing.

"Not bad, but let's see if you can truly defeat me!" shouted Temur as he charged straight towards Shizen, the sword tearing up the ground as he ran forward towards the dragon slayer.

Fuu smiled slightly, knowing that this was the perfect chance to defeat Temur. He had underestimated Shizen. He was charging straight into an attack that was sure to at least daze him.

"Shizen, do it now!" shouted Fuu as Shizen nodded.

"Leaf Dragon's Roar!" shouted Shizen as a mass of green and wind shot straight into Temur's chest, a look of pure surprise coming onto the swordsman's face.

"I got him!" shouted Hitomu as he jumped up in the air, smashed his fist into Temur, the blonde haired man smashing straight into a tree, leaving a trail of blood as he lay against the tree, silent. Fuu created a sword made of crystal and pointed it straight at Temur's throat.

"You underestimated us. You didn't even bother to scout our abilities, but I guess it's pointless now that you're completely unconscious from taking two direct hits." said Fuu confidently as he turned to face the haze that lay between them from Paco.

Temur was slumped against a tree, blood coming from his mouth and his eyes closed and the group of three mages running up to the haze. Hitomu had reverted back to his human form and he pushed against the mist, trying to get through the barrier.

"Huh, it won't budge." said Hitomu as he looked at the mist and scratched his head.

Shizen and Fuu observed the mist and Shizen sighed as Fuu looked back at Temur.

"I think we can't get through until Paco had won or lost. In the meantime, all we can do is hope." said Fuu as the group nodded, hoping Paco would win.

**Inside the mist barrier**

Paco grit his teeth and looked around the haze, trying to find his way out. He was in a clear area of the forest, but surrounded on all sides by the fog. Was there no way to escape?

"You're smart, I will give you that."

Paco looked as a figure came from the mist, dressed in a brown robe, a sword at his side. He was tall and blonde haired. Paco tried to remain calm. He was certain that the tall blonde haired individual in front of him was the strongest of the three Harlem brothers. Paco almost groaned out loud. He was just one person, and the weakest of the group at that. He didn't feel confident, he wasn't strong, and he was certainly not brave. Selim looked at Paco, his cold eyes never blinking as he observed the prince-in-disguise.

"You managed to get all the way here with a barely detailed map and in only a few days. How that happened, I will never understand. However, I know that you also seek the Bellroot. I want the Bellroot myself, and I will not give the plant to you. Let us do battle, this will decide who gets the plant." said Selim emotionlessly as he drew his sword.

On closer observance, Selim's sword was not actually a sword. It was a straight rod made of black metal. Paco clenched his fist, knowing that his Physic powers were not enough to defend himself against Selim. Paco had tested out the stronger spells that Physic could offer, but it had been a little difficult to maintain when he had tried. But Selim gave him not choice, the sword mage slamming his sword into the ground, the earth splitting open as he did so.

"Fissure!" Selim shouted as Paco dodged the cracks forming underneath him, feeling pain shoot through his body as steely spikes suddenly shot up from the cracks and cut across Paco's leg.

The pain was incredible, like something just had decided to slap him across the face. Selim seemed to be satisfied with the attack and ground repaired itself, the metal spikes disappearing. Paco let out slow breaths, trying to keep calm. Selim looked at Paco, slightly confused.

"You've never had to use your magic to its full potential, have you, princeling?" Selim asked, a faint smile on his lips.

Shock stopped Paco from moving. He knew? How? Paco had tried to so hard to hide his true identity as the prince of the Garlan Empire, but how had Selim known? Selim seemed amused as Paco struggled with his own failure.

"It was a guess that I slowly pieced together while travelling. You want the plant because your father is paranoid, the leader of the town I come from knows your father very well. He has tried to cure your father's paranoia before, but failed. But here's something interesting. You have never had to work very hard, but I will give you one chance to defeat me. I will throw my strongest attack at you, and if you can survive it, you will win, how about it?" asked Selim as Paco clenched his fist, trembling.

Had he always been this pitiful? He was being ridiculed by the enemy! Very well, Peter the Second Evadeus would meet the challenge head on even if it killed him! Paco's eyes were fierce for the first time as he saw Selim raised his sword. The sword suddenly sparking as if lightning was striking it. The clouds above them darkened and Selim closed his eyes and set the sword's blade on the ground.

"Nature's Force: All of the Elements!" Selim roared as electricity flowed through the ground, heading straight for Paco.

"I am not weak! I will survive!" Paco screamed as he used up all of his magical power, sending his body floating above.

Selim didn't look impressed as Paco sent himself flying forward, purple light glowing around him as he flew towards Selim, fists at the ready. The ground shot up from the ground, turning into spikes as they spiked through Paco in several places. The prince shook the blows off, his vision going blurry from all the pain, but still continuing. He was not going to be weak anymore! The air turned frigid, the hail of blocks of ice smashing into his back and melting there, threatening to freeze Paco solid as he got closer to Selim.

"This is it!" Paco screamed as he smashed his fist into Selim's face, his full force smashing into Selim.

By this time, Paco had almost lost control of his anger and emotions. He had blood coming from his chest, ears, nose, any part of skin that had been exposed. His clothes were bloody, his eyes full of tears, and a heart full of regret as he smashed his fist into Selim. The sword mage was slammed against the barrier of fog, Paco then losing his ability to levitate and then falling to the ground, completely exhausted.

Selim looked up from where he had fallen. The fallen form of a prince lay in front of him. He was defeated, bloody, and pathetic, but Selim could not help but admire the young prince's determination. He tapped the ground with his sword and watched as water and strength flowed from the earth and into the prince. Paco coughed as he felt some strength return, his eyes slowly opening to see that the haze had disappeared and his friends were around him. Selim had Temur on his shoulder and Paco looked down at his hand to see the Bellroot, pure white and clean, in his hand.

Paco was wordless. Had he done it? Was this reality or a dream of unconsciousness? He shook his head and nothing happened. It was reality. Several tears of joy fell from Paco's eyes as he held the Bellroot. Then Paco remembered Selim and his brothers. He had a debt to them as well. Paco had always considered himself the weakest out of the group, but now he felt stronger. He felt confident enough to stand on his own two feet. He gripped the Bellroot and split it at the stem. Bellroot had the same medicinal properties throughout the entire plant. The roots were supposed to be the most effective, and Paco only needed the leaves to cure his father of paranoia.

"H-here, take this. I wanted to thank you." said Paco weakly as Selim looked back from where he was about to leave.

The blonde haired sword mage set his brother against a tree and came to retrieve the tangle of brown roots that Paco had torn. Upon receiving the roots, he looked into Paco's eyes and smiled.

"I understand now that you are no selfish being. We will all prosper when you claim your right. Let this be true." He said as he turned away to retrieve his two brothers and set sail for home.

Paco and his friends watched them disappear into the forest and the entire group started smiling and laughing. They had done it! The Bellroot was in their hands!

_Shizen had buried the claw of her dragon parent while Paco lay unconscious. Hitomu and Mika decided to make the journey back to Fiore with Paco and Shizen, but Fuu decided to stay behind. The young thief had decided to start a new guild in Seria and the group wished him the best of luck as they left him behind in Seria. Hitomu had learned to trust people more, vowing to never make the mistake of distrusting anyone simply because of appearance. Shizen went back to Fairy Tail, sharing her stories of the journey with her guildmates. And finally, Paco returned home to Arcana. _

_His return was big news to the palace staff and Drake wanted to see Paco for punishment at dinner, but the crafty prince had infiltrated the kitchen, placing the Bellroot leaves among the lettuce and other vegetables. Drake prepared dinner for himself as always, and as King and Prince had dinner, Drake went under a great transformation. He was no longer paranoid of everything that moved, and Paco felt a great weight lift from his shoulders as his family came together once again._

_Selim and his brothers returned to Westcliff and used the Bellroot to cure their sister of her ailment. The members of the Harlem family continued to live in Westcliff, protected by Goldfinger and the Illuminati. The Harlem Brothers never forgot their time on Seria and lived a life filled with peace afterwards. _

…

_However, Paco's life had an unhappy end. Drake lived to be 96, making him the longest living Garlan monarch. Paco ascended the throne in his 60s. While Drake had forged the massive empire, it was Paco that maintained the empire. The empire would never have been stabled if Paco had not been there to guide it. However, Paco was assassinated by his own son, who took the throne after killing his father. Paco's son, Darius II would lead the empire in its slow decline by waging war with anyone who offended him. _

**There you go. I have another short story ready to be published soon so I think you will be happy with it. This story took a long time to finish, but I liked it. It was a happy/unhappy ending. Not much to say because I'm pretty busy so I will see you all later. FF**


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